Robert Merriman

On Feb 8, 2018, our fellow beloved runner, Robert Merriman, passed away from glioblastoma brain cancer. I never had the chance to formally meet Robert Merriman, but I knew who he was. I recognized him from social media, I saw him at races, and everytime I saw him I saw his smile. His obituary read “In 2007 Robert moved to Utah where he quickly discovered a passion for running. He completed countless half marathons, full marathons and even a 100 mile ultra-marathon. He loved and encouraged not only his running community, but also those around him.  He influenced everyone to live life truthfully, to show kindness and above all else, to love.” As I interacted with those close to him and as I heard about the change in his life that came from running, I began to ask myself, “Why do I run?”

Why Do You Run?

In the beginning many of us run to improve ourselves. I hear many reasons as to why people start running: with the most common being as an effective way to lose weight. I have also met people that use running to build confidence and self esteem, to relieve stress, or simply as a way to spend time with the ones they love. Running brings a sense of accomplishment, a challenge for self improvement, and a desire to be better than the day before. Whatever the reason is that we start running, each of us soon become addicted to the sport. External motivators start to matter less and less and we begin to run solely because we love to run.

I think it is important to run for ourselves; the rewards are well worth the effort. But think for a moment. What if you could also benefit someone else as you ran? Running for a cause bridges the gap between the individuality of running, and community. More importantly, it can change and, in some cases, save lives.

Running with a Purpose

That is our goal, and that is why each one of our races benefit a sponsored charity. Next week is the Timp Half and our allied charity is 5 for the Fight. 5 for the Fight raises money for cancer research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. At least $5 from every registration is donated directly to the charity and of course the option is given during the registration process to donate more to support the cause. Aid your fellow runners and community in the fight to conquer cancer, join the Timp Half Run to Conquer Cancer and fight alongside us.

There is power in running for others. Become something greater than yourself.

• Jon Cahoon, Runtastic Events

REFERENCE

Robert Denzil Merriman | 1956 – 2018 | Obituary. Broomhead Funeral Home. Online. Accessed July 18, 2019. https://www.broomheadfuneralhome.com/obituary/robert-merriman